The Beginning to Another
by SecretBeauty-NM-LM
Summary: An insight to Snape's past and his relationship to Lily and just how everything fell into place in a beginning to another...
1. Chapter 1

The Beginning to Another

By: SecretBeauty-NM-LM

Severus sat at his desk, twirling his quill between his fingers. He sighed.

He had just completed the written portion of his Potions exam, whereas the

others were still on the mixing ingredients part. There was a _'poof'_ of purple

smoke and a horrid smell filtered through the room. Severus sighed again. This

was the third time Frank Longbottom had messed up his potion. He sniffed.

Though from the smell of the smoke, he was getting closer to the mark.

He looked around, smiling to himself (or as close to a smile as he could

get) when he saw another done. She was slouched in her chair with her

nose in a book. She turned to look when someone dropped their jigger on

the other side of the room. He'd recognize those bright green eyes

anywhere. Her flame red hair was a clue too. Lily Evans.

He frowned.

He should have figured that she would have been finished too. Professor Slughorn walked by and picked up his phial and essay. He proceeded down the rows, then stopped at Lily's desk.

"Already finished Miss Evans?" he held her phial up to the light. "And the perfect color as well!" he continued to marvel. Severus was fuming. How was it that that witch always got all the attention for her work when his was just as good if not better?! The phrase 'stupid Mudblood' came to mind, but that was fruitless. After all he was a 'Mudblood' himself. He knew that blood had nothing to do with the quality of the witch or wizard. His own father was a Pureblood and he was as low quality as one could get. He was a rude and abusive drunk. The other down side was that he happened to be quite an exceptional wizard. Severus was becoming more and more angry when, luckily, Professor Slughorn broke his thoughts.

"Are all exams turned in to me? Good. Now, what I have in mind next--" the bell rang. There was the busy sound of papers being gathered and students filing out the door into the dungeons. "Great job as well Severus!" Professor Slugohrn called as he was about to exit out the door. "Uh-huh," was all his response.

"Severus," he turned to see who was calling his name. Correctly. It was Lily. "Yes?" he raised an eyebrow, actually wondering what she could possibly want to talk to him about. She brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. They shone like emeralds.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about Slughorn. Ever since I helped him stun some mermaids in the lake so he could get come of the yellow seaweed, he won't leave me alone."

"Hello Lily!" Slughorn called from down the hall.

Lily waved and smiled, which both dropped as soon as he was out of sight. "See what I mean?" she gave a wry smile. Severus just stood there. Lily looked around and shifted uncomfortably. "So yeah…that's it," she adjusted her schoolbag and walked away.

_Idiot!_ He scorned himself. He was going to say he understood, though that didn't lessen his annoyance, but words woulnd't form. He was still in awe of her smile. It lit of the dingiest corners of the dungeons. He would just go up to her later.

Entering the Slytherin common room, he tossed down his schoolbag and plopped down into a winged chair by the fire. He stared into the flames, watching them lick their way up the back of the chimney. He had two hours to relax befire his final exam. He closed his eyes and awoke two hours later with the sounds of hushed voices and sniggers. He opened his eyes, blurred from sleep, things slowly came into focus. He saw the tall slender form of MacNair dashing across the room, and the large, cumbersome form Goyle trying to hurry away. He shot a biting charm his way (or the 'butt-biter' charm, this being the favored target). Goyle let out a yelp and clasped his backside with his hands. Severus now had fifteen minutes before he was due in the Great Hall before his final exam. He took out his potion book and began making his own corrections to the potions.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting in the baking Great Hall, Severus tried to concentrate as sweat dripped down into his eyes. He was good at charms, but having sweat stinging his eyes and Professor Flitwick sitting sitting up at the head table, humming along to a made up tune, didn't help his focus any. A witch raised her hand. It was Lily. She waited patiently to be acknowledged as Flitwick continued to hum. Severus cleared his throat rather loudly when Lily used her other arm to prop her raised one. Flitwick looked out at them and, finally, noticed Lily. "Yes Miss Evans?"

"I'm sorry professor, but could you not hum?" she asked.

"Oh! Yes, certainly! Sorry," he beamed back.

She smiled.

Before going back to her exam she looked over to his seat and mouthed, "Thank you." He gave a small smile and began to write again. Just as his quill touched the parchment, a crumpled up bit came soaring across the room, bumping his quill creating a dark line of ink across the sheaf. He looked around but saw no raised heads or darting eyes. He unfolded it and frowned. On it were the words, 'Don't you dare look her in the eyes again,' and in a bit neater bit of script was the word, 'Snivellis.' He knew right away who it was from. James Potter and Sirius Black. He crumpled the paper back up and casted it aside.

Severus looked up about a half an hour later when he hard laughter. James, Remus and Sirius were done with their exams and Sirius was doing his infamous impression of him, slicking back his hair, dropping his jaw, languid eyes and hooking his finger to his nose. James stifled back a roar of laughter and stared in his direction, challenging him.

Rage filling him, he flung open his potions book and wrote the words that he had been trying to think of for the longest time. It was a horrid spell and he looked forward to the day when he could finally make it work. He smiled a twisted smile. "What are you smirking at Snivellis?" Sirius called across the room. Severus looked at him with a look of one having the upper hand and sat back, waiting for the final bell.

Crossing the grounds, he indulged in the cool crisp breeze as it came off the lake. He looked forward to sitting under his favorite tree, to engross himself in a book, when suddenly was abruptly hoisted up by his ankles. People all around him were laughing, but Sirius, James, and Remus were all laughing a bit harder than usual. He looked down (well, up) to see that his boxers were turned a dingey grey. He was going to kill MacNair and Goyle!

"Let him down!" An angry voice demanded across the grounds. Barely enough time to brace himself, he crumpled into a heap onto the ground. "Are you alright?" Lily placed a hand on his should, stooping down to help him with his book. "I don't need your help! You filthy Mudblood!" He felt her sudden withdraw of her hand from his shoulder. Though no one could see it, he winced. He hadn't meant to say that. "Is that how you feel?" her voice was far from it's usual warmth. _Oh no,_ he thought. "Fine," with that she dropped his books and paper.

Severus sat for sometime on the lawn. While all the other students were inside celebrating end of term exams, he watched the wind carry his papers up and into the lake.

"It's Severus, isn't it?" Severus turned to see three boys walking towards him. The one in the middle with the long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes was the one addressing him. "Yes," he replied with indifference. "How would you like to get one over on those three?" he smirked. He brooded over it. "Go on," he spoke. "Oh, hoo hoo, lookie here. You know, you're just the sort he's looking for," the blue eyed boy turned back to his friends, who nodded their agreement. "My name's Lucius Malfoy," he held out his hand. "This here's Bellatrix Black and Crabbe; just Crabbe," he nodded to the two.

"Who is this man?" Severus asked and he was ushered up the lawn like an old friend. The three gave a small laugh. "His name will become known in time. Not just to you but to all."


	3. Chapter 3

It was a damp fall night. Most visitors in Hogsmead were by a warm fire, drinking with merrily. Severus continued to walk in the shadows as to not draw attention to himself until needed. A stranger with a dark hood over his or her face was not out of the norm in the Hogshead. He looked over at the bar and noticed that the barkeep, Madame Rosemerta, had bewitched the taps and pitchers to serve the guests. The meeting must have already started. With a quick look around, he bolted up the stairs to her lodgings.

Creeping along the wall, he stepped lightly, avoiding loosened floor boards. He recognized two of the three voices coming from the room, one being of Madame Rosemerta and the other of the newly appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. The third must be the woman who he was supposed to interrogate, by means of torture, for information. Hoping not to have to resort to torture, as it would make headlines in the Profit, he leaned into the door, hoping to catch a few words. Leaning in, he noticed that the door was open a crack. Kneeling down he peered in.

Dumbledore was sitting on the couch showing Rosemerta his new pair of socks and the guest, who was a brown frizzy haired woman with glasses the size of quaffles, sat in a chair.

"So," Dumbledore said, pulling his robes back down over his socks. "How's business been doing?" he asked Rosemerta. "Good. Though not so good with the students back at home," she replied, stoking the fire. Dumbledore looked suddenly at the frizzy haired woman. "Um, Rosemerta, would you be so kind as to fetch me some mead? I've had a taste for it for quite sometime," he smiled. "Surely," she rested the poker against the hearth and headed for the door. Severus quickly dashed for the room just across the hall and his behind the door. As soon as he was sure she was down the stairs, he hurried back over the other door. "Neither can live while the other survives!" The woman's voice sounded most unnatural. His eyes widened. Hearing Rosemerta making her way back up the stairs, he dashed back into the other room and escaped out the window.

Severus bowed before his master. "Rise servant," the master's voice was cold. "I trust you bring news of importance?" He rose with his head still slightly bowed. "The prophecy you sensed was spoke last night. It was said, 'Neither can live while the other survives.'" The master's eyes turned to cold, malicious slits on his face. "My followers!" he addressed the group clad in long black cloaks and masks around him. "The prophecy has been said! MacNair, Malfoy and Rudolphus Lestrange," three figures stepped forward. "To the Potters!" Cheers and laughter rang.

_The Potters?_ Severus stood cold in his place. Their child? The child wasn't his biggest concern though. What about Lily? He knew his master and his ways and he knew Lily. She would stand between him and the baby, and nothing lived to tell about facing the Dark Lord. He Apperated with those not chosen, back to his house.

He didn't sleep well that night. He kept tossing and turning, having the same nightmare every time he drifted off to sleep. In his nightmare he was cold. Bright red and green lights flashed through a blackened space. Every time he woke, it was with the sound of a scream and a baby's cry, followed by cold laughter. The forth time he woke, the clock read seven A.M. He got out of bed, put on his dressing robe and sat at the kitchen table. He magicked some coffee into a mug just as an owl flew through the opened window, landing on the table. He placed a bronze Knut into the ouch tied to it's leg and it flew off. With trembling fingers he unrolled the paper and looked at the front page.

'_He Who Must Not Be Named' Strikes Again! Two Found Dead!_ He went to the article underneath. 'Lily and James Potter were found dead this morning in their home when a neighbor heard startling screams coming from their residence on Godric's Hollow. The couple had a young baby named Harry who was found, miraculously, safe in his crib with naught but a scar on his forehead, possibly indicating a failed powerful curse.'

He tossed the paper across the room.

Lily was dead.

That night he did the most unthinkable thing someone in his position could do. He ignored the burning of the Mark on his right forearm. Instead he donned his long black cloak and Apperated to the only place he could go.

"You have to help me! I swear. I swear I'm done! I'll scrape this thing off my arm! I'll--" "Severus," Dumbledore's eyes were warm. "I think I have a place for you. But Severus," he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will never be truly done." He gave a sad smile, but ushered him into the office like an old friend.


End file.
